Chapter 89 - Eighty-nine

leave a red stone. 

______

After Isabelle had left, Nikita and Alexis had not bothered themselves to get up. They were just sitting there and l being lazy.

"Do you find silence comfortable sometimes it?" Nikita spoke as she stared at the distance. "Like sometimes you don't have to fill it?"

"Yes, " Alexis muttered. That was true. Sometimes not talking was just as effective. 

Alexis thought of what Julia had said. How old and bygone her thinking was. Even if Alexis had a child, which was not anytime soon, she would take a maternity break and bounce right back into the game.

She would be back in no time.

But she wondered how Julia could not keep up with the change in times. And appreciate the opportunities that everyone now received as compared to the most. Yet, she could just sulk about it. 

Nikita sighed, "Isobel did not come tonight, she is not immediate family and she tends to avoid the grandmother."

"Well, I am happy that some of us are lucky." She winked at Nikita making her laugh. Alex was glad Isobel could save herself. 

"True, " Nikita agreed with her with a smile on her face. "But she asked me to present you with something." Nikita looked at Alexis for reaction. 

Alexis asked, "what is it?"

"There are some pro bono cases and at times no takes and by no one, I mean the firms that make the most money. She thinks that you should take them or more like to represent them."

"Why? To write it off my taxes?"

"No..not really." Nikita winced.

"Then how? Because I married a millionaire and I am no one of huge amounts of net worth so I am already the gold digger. Now if I get into charity work, I would be every housewife of a rich household." Alexis snapped at her.

"I didn't think it through, " Nikita rubbed her forehead.

Alexis chimed in. "Yes and neither did Isobel."

She then thought of it. She had the money and the resources, so there was nothing wrong with helping someone out genuinely.

"I will do it Anonymously." She announced, earning a smile from Nikita. "And I know just the person." She smiled and then walked out of the kitchen to her room. She was tired now.

"Everything okay?" Angelo asked as he saw her come into the room with a dejected expression.

"Yes," she grunted as she took off her clothes and changed in the closet itself. "why you ask?"

"Nothing, your expressions convey that you are tired."

"Maybe I am tired." She sat on the chair and combed her hair.

Angelo placed the bottle back in the drawer and closed it. He then stood behind and kissed her forehead. "Come on, let's get you grumpy baby to sleep." He picked her up and placed her on the bed, cuddling her to sleep.

*********

Angelo woke her up this morning for a quick work out which again had to help her a lot in burning calories. In the end, when Angelo went for a shower to get dressed up, she opened the drawer on her side table and grabbed a bottle of pills. Swallowing one, she drank a bit of water and went back to sleep for a nap.

Freshened up for the day, she made her way to the kitchen knowing that Isabelle would be there. She would either be panicking herself or making the chef go crazy. But when carefully thought about it, it could be both.

And she was in the kitchen.

Isabelle was tasting the food before it was placed on the breakfast table.

"Isabelle," Alexis cooed while gently pushed her out. "The chef's will do just fine. Come on, let go out."

"I'm just worried." She admitted. "Julia has been the worst critique ever! She never considers anyone else's feeling and you had not met her as a Mother-in-law. She was one real piece of work."

"Wow, some had had nice family time, I guess." Alexis teased.

"Too nice to even remember." Isabelle quietly added. "Come on, they will serve tea first."

They made their way out, meeting the family in the garden where there had been a dining table placed for brunch. The tea was served and they talked about things. Nicolai's main concern seemed to be the business and profits.

"So no troubles with the police? They corrupt?" He grunts.

Alexis had noticed that the man never really spoke. He merely grunted or muttered. She had no more reason to wonder why Julia was so bitter. It was obvious that all her life Julia was just a means to end. So she craved attention and that attention had made her a bitter person in itself.

Which she had failed to notice.

She just wanted attention and she knew that the Donna would get it the most after the Don.

"Yes, Grandfather," Angelo answered. "Not corrupt but I have been careful enough."

"Just gather the corrupt ones and be done with it." He said. "Don't care about carefulness, you are bound to go wrong somewhere."

Gabriele agreed but he disagreed at the same time too. Funding corrupt politicians and cops would take too much money from their profits. So he preferred to stay diligent and careful. Mistakes could be avoided if he wanted.

"Well," Silvano started, seeming a bit uneasy about it. "I heard you have invested in a new trade, Grandpapa."

"I did." He agreed. "More money is always welcomed!" He laughed. Everyone joined in. Just to make it seem a little less awkward.

Alexis could just pity Julia in life. The man she was married to at a young age seemed to be all but materialistic. He did not care for anyone and as Nikita had told her, he had taught his grandchildren abuse of both strength and power.

They or he alone instead of Julia was the sole reason that Silvano and Angelo had used strength to assert their opinions on their wives. Nickolai had done the same and they did too. But what Alexis wondered was, why did they stop now?

"Anyway," Nickolai continued, "give me a good vacation spot. I want to go and relax and spend the money on things."

We all know what things, Angelo and Gabriele shared a look. It was not unusual of Nickolai to go on some exotic holiday destination without Julia. She had never accompanied her husband if not for official business where his wife was not seen.

"Thailand seems once," Silvano commented making the old man laugh.

"I know, I have a flight booked for the evening." He winked and read the newspaper.

Julia's face reddened a bit. He had again done this in front of family. Where she was humiliated for not upholding her position. She glanced around but stopped. Her composure was everything if that broke she would look weak.

"That is good to know," She wished him well in front of people. "Gabrielle, son, how are you?"

"Good, mother. Thank you for asking."

"Angelo and Silvano?" She questioned her grandchildren's health.

"Good, " Angelo answered.

"Living the best of it, ma." Silvano clicked his tongue.

She sipped her tea and then asked again. "And how is marriage treating you?"

That made Isabelle clicked her tongue in annoyance. She had a talent for alienating family members and making them stick up to her. If they wanted to be included, Julia was the key.

"Well, Angelo has not made any complaint far." Alexis teasingly bumped her elbow to Angelo's making him laugh a bit.

"That's true." Angelo agreed with a small smile.

"Well, I don't have 'em either," Silvano added, smiling as Nikita rolled her eyes at him. He leaned in and kissed his wife's forehead.

"Gabriele, would like to accompany your father?" Julia asked her son who was reading the newspaper as well. She had purposely asked him that in front of everyone.

Isabelle stiffened at that and Gabriele noticed it too. He kept his hand on his wife's knee, assuring her. "No mother. Thank you for asking or .. offering, whatever it was. But Isabelle and I had already been on one." He said vaguely but taunted her in the end.

"Alright." She smiled. "Juliet has already begun taking care of Mateo's home. She cooks and cleans for him. Such a perfect wife she is." She looked pointedly at Nikita and Alexis, which made them angry.

"You doing find girls like that anymore, the one's who care." Julia threw a glance in Alexis's direction making her frown.

Whatever Juliet did was her choice. If she wanted to be a housewife then she was most welcome to do so but the same could be said for Alexis and Nikita. It was now their choice.

"Ah, the breakfast is served," Isabelle said as the dishes were placed in front of everyone. They helped themselves and ate peacefully. The talking rather seemed to be stressful in this family than having a positive effect.

She could hope for this brunch to go well without a fight.